By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry decided to hear the testimony of a Crime Intelligence officer, using pseudonym, Witness G in private, rather than partially in public.
Witness G was set to address issues surrounding suspicious deaths and controversial African National Congress (ANC) aligned businessman Brown Mogotsi.
Mogotsi told the Commission earlier that he was a registered Crime Intelligence contact agent who infiltrated criminal networks, including that of murder-accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
He claims he was recruited in 1999 and tasked with probing a South African Police Service (SAPS) tender linked to Matlala, reporting to two handlers.
Evidence leader advocate Matthew Chaskalson guided Witness G through a statement they had prepared for the commission. Instead of reading sections of it out onto the record, Witness G merely confirmed that various sections of it were correct.
Chaskalson put it to them that they had met with Mogotsi’s legal counsel in November last year, which Witness G confirmed.
He also suggested that Witness G read into record several paragraphs of their statement, especially pertinent to the Madlanga Commission’s work.
Some scant information emerged, including that Witness G is a Crime Intelligence officer with a struggle history linked to the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) military.
The Commission chair Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga explained that the hearing would no longer be accessible to the public or media, because it’s become impossible to proceed, due to security and practical concerns.
It was agreed that any sensitive testimony that could expose their identity would be in-camera.
“One problem is that the order of 24 April 2026 said the testimony would be partly in-camera, in the sense that the witness’s testimony would not be heard by members of the public, and also partly in camera but to be heard by members of the public,” Madlanga said.
Today marked 100 days of testimonies before the commission probing corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system.
The commission was established in June last year to probe allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, on political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system.